We're doing our best to keep you and your computer healthy with this April issue. To avoid computer viruses, be sure to read about recent spam aimed at Facebook users and how to spot these fraudulent e-mail messages. In Great Sites, we feature resources to help you achieve a healthier credit score, find out about clinical research on medical conditions of interest to you, and discover healthy recipes that are quick and easy to make. You'll also learn why "https" is a sign of website security, and how to set up automatic e-mail message delivery at startup.

The goal of each of our monthly eNewsletters is to keep our subscribers informed regarding their Internet connection and to improve their Internet experience. We think you'll find this information interesting. If, however, you'd prefer not to receive these bulletins on a monthly basis, please see the links at the bottom of this e-mail to manage your preferences.

To see what's inside this issue, simply scroll down the eNewsletter or click on the links within the index to the left. Thanks for reading!

- The eCurrents Team

Surfer Beware - Facebook Users Facing Spam Attacks

The widely popular social networking site, Facebook, now has more than 175 million active users with the fastest growing demographic being those 30 years old and older. Perhaps you're one of the many Facebook users that recently received spam containing subjects like the following:

An invitation to lunch by a family

Your reported violation of Facebook's Terms of Service

A link to a video of dancing girls

Take a look at one example of these fraudulent e-mail messages below:

These spoofed Facebook messages contain links to websites that try to prompt recipients into installing a malicious application. If you receive e-mail messages like this, DO NOT CLICK ON THE LINK. Instead, simply delete them. Also make sure you have a firewall installed, and keep your antivirus and antispyware software up to date.

Facebook actively works to stop spam related to their site and to bring legal action against the spammers. In addition, Facebook has security experts and engineers focused on the integrity of the site and continues to build systems to prevent and respond to spam attacks. They recommend that Facebook users report spam by using the links located throughout their website.

Question: I've noticed that some website addresses begin with "http" and others with "https." What does that "s" stand for and does it mean anything to me as a user?

Answer: The acronym HTTPS stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure. The word "secure" refers to the fact that HTTPS uses a secure socket layer (SSL) for security purposes when transferring data. Some examples of sites that use HTTPS include banking and investment websites, e-commerce websites, and most websites that require you to log in.

Websites that use the standard HTTP protocol transmit and receive data in an unsecured manner. This means it's possible for someone to eavesdrop on the data being transferred between the user and the Web server. By contrast, secure websites use the HTTPS protocol to encrypt the data being sent back and forth with SSL encryption. If someone were to capture the data being transferred via HTTPS, it would be unrecognizable.

You can tell if a website is secure by viewing the address field of your Web browser. If the Web address starts with "https://," you know that you're accessing a secure website. Most browsers will also display a lock icon somewhere along the edge of the window to indicate the website that you are currently visiting is secure. You can click the lock icon to view the secure certificate that authenticates the website.

Whenever you're asked to enter personal or financial information on a website, make sure that the URL starts with "https://" and that the lock icon appears in the window.

Credit Carehttp://www.helpwithmycredit.org - Help With My Credit provides information to assist and educate consumers struggling with debt. Their website features helpful, easy-to-understand advice for those having trouble keeping up with payments. Topics include managing credit wisely, credit card basics, credit card features, understanding your credit score, reading your statement, and credit counseling. If you don't find what you need, check out the additional resources and links.

LOC Onlinehttp://loc.gov - Love to learn? Then you will love this site. The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world with millions of books and other media in its collections. The online collection contained in this site is also vast. Highlights include learning games and activities, a "wise guide" that shows you what's available, a performing arts encyclopedia, "places in the news," and webcasts featuring musicians, poets, and more.

CenterWatchhttp://centerwatch.com - Do you or someone you care about have a serious medical condition? Have you wondered if there's a way to keep up with the research about treatments for it? This site may provide the answers. It offers news, directories, analysis, and proprietary market research on clinical research for a variety of conditions. You will find a database of clinical trials, a subscription service for notifications, a list of recently approved drugs, and a collection of additional resources.

Rachael Ray Recipeshttp://rachaelray.com - Rachael Ray, popular TV host and cookbook author, is known for her warmth, energy, and boundless curiosity. Ray is also famous for her 30-minute meals and you can find lots of quick and easy recipes on her site. Now that the weather is getting nicer, check out the Spring Fever section for recipes that let you spend less time at the stove and more time outside playing.

Late Is Greathttp://lastminute.com - Procrastinators, this is the travel site for you! Find incredible deals when you make last minute — or even last second — travel plans. The site includes flight, hotel, car, and vacation deals for a variety of destinations, as well as terrific tips for what to do when you get there. You can search by occasion, budget, or your preferred type of vacation activity. Use the "going out" section to plan your days when you arrive, or the "gift ideas" section to give the gift of travel.

Do you have to click on the "Send/Receive" button to obtain your messages when starting up your e-mail program? Perhaps they used to be automatically delivered but after you upgraded your e-mail program, this feature was no longer operating. Follow the steps below to have your e-mail messages automatically delivered at startup:

1. With Thunderbird open, click your cursor arrow on "Tools" from the menu bar and select "Account Settings..." from the resulting drop-down menu.

2. The Account Settings window (Local Folders window on the Mac) will open. Under your account located on the left side of the window, click on "Server Settings." You will now see several server setting options on the right side of the window.

3. In the "Server Settings" section, check the box next to "Check for new messages at startup."

4. Click on the "OK" button to save your changes and close the Account Settings window.

We hope you found this newsletter to be informative. It's our way of keeping you posted on the happenings here. If, however, you'd prefer not to receive these bulletins on a monthly basis, please see the links at the bottom of this e-mail to manage your preferences.

(We have used our best efforts in collecting and preparing the information published herein. However, we do not assume, and hereby disclaim, any and all liability for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions resulted from negligence, accident, or other causes.)